Basic 101: Class 4 Drawing Cylindrical Objects

Drawing Cylindrical Objects

BEFORE you start this week’s lesson go to the following link

http://www.artgraphica.net/free-art-lessons/wetcanvas/drawing-ellipses/drawing-ellipses.htm

This is this is Gavin Bann’s Guest Lecture on the subject of ellipses.

Here is the definition of an ellipse:

Main Entry: el lipse

Pronunciation: i-'lips, e-
Function: noun
Etymology: Greek elleipsis
1 a : OVAL b : a closed plane curve generated by a point moving in such a way that the sums of
its distances from two fixed points is a constant : a plane section of a right circular cone that is a
closed curve

Source: Merriam-Webster online

NOW

Here is the definition of our subject, the cylinder

Main Entry: cyl in der

Pronunciation: ' si-l&n-d&r
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle French or Latin; Middle French cylindre, from Latin cylindrus, from Greek
kylindros, from kylindein to roll; perhaps akin to Greek kyklos wheel -- more at WHEEL
1 a : the surface traced by a straight line moving parallel to a fixed straight line and intersecting a
fixed planar closed curve b : the space bounded by a cylinder and two parallel planes cutting all
its elements -- see VOLUME table
2 : a cylindrical body or space: as a : the turning chambered breech of a revolver b (1) : the piston
chamber in an engine (2) : a chamber in a pump from which the piston expels the fluid c : any of
various rotating members in a press (as a printing press); especially : one that impresses paper on
an inked form d : a cylindrical clay object inscribed with cuneiform inscriptions
- cyl in dered /-d&rd/ adjective

Source: Merriam-Webster online

 Basic 101: Class 4 Drawing Cylindrical Objects

Good grief! All this time I thought that a cylinder was a tube. I guess the moral of the story is
don’t get tangled up in too many technical points.

Figure 1 is a Slinky—A slinky, besides being fun for every girl and boy, is a wonderful
illustration of a cylinder in action. It lifts and it separates, don’t you know and so for our
purposes it is a versatile model.

EXERCISE 1. Draw the diagram of the

Slinky as I did. Do as many of these as
your sanity and your time will allow. When
you draw this object think about the
cylinder that it IS and the ellipse’ that are
contained with in—if you think about it,
every coil is an ellipse and all of the
combined coils make up ONE cylinder

Now look at figure 2. Let’s draw a cylinder sans Slinky:

1. First, decide how big, small

or wide that you would like
your cylinder to be.

2. Start drawing by roughing

in the ellipses, top and bottom.
I generally move the pencil in
a counter clockwise manner.

3. Next sketch in the sides and

now you have your cylinder.
Sounds simple.
 Basic 101: Class 4 Drawing Cylindrical Objects

LEARN TO SEE, JUST LIKE THE CUBE, THE CYLINDERS THAT ARE IN THE OBJECTS
THAT SURROUND YOU EVERYDAY.

Figure 3 is a demonstration of modifying a cylinder to make an object:

THE BOTTLE:

1. Start by drawing your cylinder like you did above.

2. Once you complete the cylinder draw the shape of the object WITHIN the cylinder. Shaping
the neck and body of the bottle.

It is THAT simple. I have gone ahead and sketched out, using the cylinder, several other objects.
Try your hand at them—then look around your house and see if you can find some more.

Here are the practice exercises (below) for this week. Several are drawings that I have completed
but there are others that are just photos. Try to do at least ONE of these. If you happen to see a
cube in the drawing—DRAW IT! Happy drawing!
Basic 101: Class 4 Drawing Cylindrical Objects
Basic 101: Class 4 Drawing Cylindrical Objects